Last Chance
by Orokid
Summary: This is her last chance.  If she fails, the woman she loves ends up married.  If she doesn't... well, she can only hope.


_**Orokid**__: So… this is my first Faberry fanfic, despite me being a minor fan of it up until I joined tumblr a couple months back. If anyone knows anything about tumblr, its that if you have a fandom, it increases like a plague there. This honestly came from watching the promo for 3x14 "On My Way", after Quinn vehemently tells Rachel that she is ruining her chances for a future with Finn (something I honestly agree with) in the bridal shop. This is something that popped into my head as I went to lay down, and, upon waking up, I realized that I still remembered it, and that I wanted to write it. After pushing that thought aside, I took to listening to my iPod… only to hear Taylor Swift's "Speak Now", which, all in all, ended up creating this piece. I'm proud of it, and I hope everyone likes it._

_**Disclaimer**__: I own nothing. _

Last Chance

Quinn walked quietly, her footfalls soft and almost silent against the wooden flooring of the Justice of the Peace, her heart heavy as she moved forward. Her fingers were trembling, her heart racing erratically, her mind going over all the things she'd wanted to say, needed to say, although she wondered if she even had the ability to open her mouth. If she did, would the butterflies come out, showering the onlookers with her jittery nerves? It was a silly thought, one that had her thinking of Brittany almost immediately, knowing that half of the reason she stood her now was because of the supposedly simple girl. How people continued to think the girl to be an idiot when she saw through to your heart, bringing to light the things you'd vehemently denied for as long as you'd been alive, was beyond her. The girl had waited patiently for the woman she loved, knowing that it was worth the wait, knowing in her heart that it was the best decision that she'd ever make- and she then pushed her friend since freshman year to do the one thing that scared her the most.

And God, was she terrified. Her tongue felt like it had swollen as the scene before her came into view, her hazel eyes taking sight of a slightly shorter girl holding onto a giant's hand, gazing lovingly into his eyes, dressed all in white as the justice read the words he'd been paid to. Her instinct to run hit her hard, wanting nothing more than to just turn around, to get herself out of there, feeling the theoretical knife slice at her heart in the worst of ways. Yet, in her fear, she felt stuck, grounded by the things that had gone unsaid, by the pain in her chest, and she closed her eyes in hopes to pray away the ache as she had time and time before.

She honestly shouldn't be doing this, barging in after she had done anything and everything to try and dissuade the brunette from making a decision that would forever hinder her life from the dreams she wished to achieve. The blond had grown blatant with her words and dissatisfaction, even telling the girl straight out during the bridal dress shopping how terrible an idea this was. The once cheerleader tried not to remember how the girl had looked, stunning, standing there upon the platform, looking the way that Quinn had always imagined she'd look. She tried to forget how her beating organ had lodged itself in her throat, caught in an overwhelming realization that she'd never wanted to look at the girl from the pews, her imagination clearing for the first time since she'd grown curious over the girl's future wedding. The smile that she saw, beaming from the girl who stood before her, wasn't gazing at Finn- the man she'd always assumed the young diva might someday marry, even though she had been on board the whole 'move to New York and forget about him' train since they'd first talked about the reality of that happening. And her heart wrenched, seeing that, for the first time, that she had always wanted to be the one to stand beside her- not as a bridesmaid, nor as her audience.

She wanted to be the one up there marrying the girl, to one day call her her own, her wife, and to support her even though she knew that they may fight and argue and do things to hurt each other's feelings. Not Finn, a boy who couldn't even remember most of the time that his girlfriend was vegan. Not Finn, who only proposed to her because he was going no where in his life. Not Finn, who didn't really love her…

Not as much as Quinn had realized she'd always had.

She didn't want to think about how she had taken to shouting at the girl, hopeful that she'd see the desperation, the plea she held in her quivering tone. _"I'm not gonna stand around and watch you ruin your life by marrying Finn Hudson!" _The words hadn't come out like she had wanted them to, but their meaning was the same, praying that the girl would read between the lines and hear her calling out, pleading for her to see that the one who truly loved her was standing right in front of her. But she had been frustrated- at the situation she'd trapped herself in, at the feelings that she was only now allowing herself to realize in the haze of finding just how likely it was that she'd lose her chance forever, at God who allowed her to dial a number in her following tears after getting thrown from both the brunette's presence and the wedding itself… Brittany had come to be her rock in a few short hours, Santana following soon afterward, and the three of them talked- seriously talked- about things that left her emotionally drained and crying for much of the night and weekend. Their friendship began to thrive where it had begun to wither, but her heart was taking it's place, dying as reality set in.

Still, as she took another step forward, the toe of her golden sandal dragging as she attempted to hide her quivering lip and uncertain gaze. She could feel the eyes of a few witnesses come upon her, each differing in reaction to her presence, confused as to why the blond had come after having been told not to. Puck rose from his seat, silently walking toward her, his dark hazel eyes watching her, understanding her, looking into her as he rifled through her soul and sought the things that her friends had seemed to know before she had even had an inkling. He offered a partial smile, crooked and saddened, his firm and calloused hand landing upon her shoulder as he spoke silently to her through his gaze alone. _'Are you sure?'_ Yes, she was. Absolutely. She desperately was, even if she was just figuring things out now, and she knew that she'd regret it if she didn't do at least something. Still, she found herself swallowing, her fears clawing at her throat as she paused just inside the doorway, and she prayed that they'd leave her be once she had done what she had come to do. Finally, she nodded, her heart hammering at her chest, raising her chin just a little higher as she fought within just whether this was her smartest decision or not. You'd think getting accepted to Yale meant something in these situations…

He nodded in return, his grip leaving her shoulder as he moved behind her, letting the blond walk past him, following behind her as he prepared to chose sides in what could quite possibly become World War three if they allowed it to become so. She could feel it in his demeanor, the way he clenched his jaw and the way his steps became heavier, and she felt grateful to have him standing with her as she carefully made her way up to the front of the room.

"If anyone has a reason as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The judges words felt like a hard knock against her chest, and all the words that she'd planned on the way over just seemed to fall from her mind, lost as her worries began to jumble up her thoughts and feelings once more. Her hands moved to clench at the other, rubbing at both her sweating palms and wringing her wrists as she found all the reasons to why she shouldn't do this. This was the girl's choice, something that she was more than willing to go through with, something that she wanted enough to force both she and her boyfriend into an early marriage despite the obvious qualms their families tried not to portray. She could read it in the Berry's faces, Leroy and Hiram holding their heads high even as their uncertainties crossed their gazes, their hands holding tight to their partner's as they sought the power to allow their daughter to make her adult decision. She saw it in the way Burt Hummel clenched his jaw almost painfully hard just as Puck had done, the way Carole Hudson grimaced, drabbing at unshed tears, regret flooding through her every being as she watched her baby boy marry. She could feel Tina and Mercedes watching her movements, judgment heavy in their eyes, the Asian girl uncertain about what to make of her appearance while the dark skinned diva gave a sigh of painful understanding.

Still, no matter how much she knew she shouldn't say the words, no matter how much the girl she cared for wanted this marriage to happen, she couldn't just sit back and leave her emotions unspoken. The regret would kill her, and if there was even a chance that maybe the brunette might feel the same… well, she had to hope, even if it was the slimmest chance that might exist.

"I do." Her voice was calmer than she was on the inside, and as all eyes moved to look at her, hope and wonder catching in the eyes of the on looking adults, curiosity and horror peeking from those gorgeous brown pupils that she now she lost herself in almost every time she allowed herself to be. The blond felt herself tear her heart open, letting free all the things she couldn't say just yet, her hazel eyes watering as she noticed the subtle resentment shimmering in those pools she adored. Her thoughts began to waver, her idealistic dreams for this woman wavering with them, and she turned her gaze away as fear returned to her quickly beating and throbbing heart.

She could hear the shuffle of cheap satin, knowing immediately in her mind's eye that the girl had come forward, and she honestly prepared herself for the slap she knew she deserved. It was one of those things she felt was worth standing where she was now, even if regret seemed to now be threading through her entire body. Still, it didn't come, but she could see the shining ivory colored flats the beautiful diva had chosen to wear for today in the corner of her watery stare. "Quinn, I understand you're worried about me-"

Hazel orbs snapped to attention, frustration burning in them once again as she found herself looking back, remembering all those times where the girl had done everything in her power to be her friend, to stand in her way as she walked a path that could have cost her college, as well as everything else. Still, worry wasn't just the only thing she felt, and even as she heard the closing of the justice's book, the girl knew that this was quite possibly her last chance to try and explain just why she shouldn't- no, couldn't marry Finn Hudson.

"You are the most forgiving person," the short haired girl started, her voice wavering, her sweating fingers aching to reach for the tanned hand just inches away, yet she made no movement to do so. "You forgave him when he fed you meat, when he gave you a pig, and…" She was talking, her thoughts scattered, her plans for the big over blown speech about feelings and dreams and everything that seemed to be on the floor, tossed aside in her jumbled uncertainty. "I…" She felt a tear fall from her eye, sliding gracefully down her pale cheek, slowly and painfully as she cracked open the things she never wanted to say. "Please," she begged once again, her heart on her sleeve as she felt her hand instinctively reach out, the cold in her chest warming at even the simpliest of touches from this girl. "Please don't marry him, Rachel." She swallowed the tears that wanted to well, stopping them as they reached her throat, unwilling to break down without even getting her meaning across. "You never had man hands, and I never thought you looked like Ru Paul or anything, and-" There were so many apologies she wanted to say for the past, for tormenting this girl, for throwing her into the arms of the t-rex who was watching the scene before him with confusion clouding his brown eyes. "I hated myself for so long." She hated the way she'd done everything she could to destroy this girl, the way she had tried to make sure she left this town with only her dreams in hand, and she hated letting herself not realize something so huge, so stupidly huge, only to allow herself her final hope in this very moment. "I can't forgive myself, but…"

She felt another tear fall, this time on her opposite cheek, and her trembling hands squeezed tightly onto the girl's as she held on for dear life- but she redoubled her efforts, searching for the words she'd been practicing over and over in the car on the way here. "I know you chew your lower lip when you're nervous, and that you try your hardest to laugh at jokes that you don't even think are funny just to be a good friend to someone. I know that the only time you let yourself go is when you're singing, and that it used to scare me so much because it was so beautiful and I know that I'd never mean anything as much as music means to you." The words were there, laid bare for the world to see, choking on a sob as she did her best to hold onto her sanity for just a moment longer before falling into the sorrow that would most definitely follow. "I've done so many things wrong, so many things that I regret, but if I didn't come here… if I didn't try one more time…" The words died on her lips, knowing that if she said them, they'd be the truest thing she'd ever spoken- something she couldn't handle. "I know you deserve so much more, so much I can't give you, but… I know that I can't live another day without you knowing that I love you so much more than he ever could." She paused, swallowing hard once more. "So please… don't marry him, Rachel. Not because of your dreams, or because he doesn't deserve you, or because you think this high school romance is the only thing that will keep you in the uncertain future that is to come. Don't marry him… because I don't want you to marry him."

Silence followed her words, and the blond was drowning in the tears that were leaking from her eyes, hiccupping as she held back the dreadful sobs she knew would come. She didn't have a chance from the start, she knew that on the drive here, but she had to try. Even if it meant getting kicked in the chest, in her heart, she had to try. It was almost like the world had stopped, although she could hear the distinct click of keys on the court typewriter. Then, all at once, sound seemed to kick in as whispers moved across the audience watching them, the Berry's commenting and conversing with the Hummel-Hudson's, uncertain how to take this new event that had just been laid about before them for all to see. The blond could hear the two men ask about her, her name and her future, the latter which the Hudmels seemed to be unknowing of. She could hear Finn cursing under his breath, barely restraining his anger at the thought that someone wanted his girlfriend, and Puck moving toward him to hold him back from making a scene of some kind. She could hear both Tina and Mercedes whisper, although of what she didn't know, and she couldn't find her ability to care either. Yet, as much as she heard, her watery gaze never left the almond colored eyes before her, too afraid that doing so might end up ruining whatever moment they were having, as well as any final chance she might have had. She needed to watch her, needed to see if she was the only one feeling this way, because if not… it was easier to be let down than to live forever wondering the 'what ifs'. Even if that meant losing her forever, even if it meant living the rest of her life alone and without the one her heart would yearn for, she needed to see it for herself.

There, a glimmer of thought, of hurt, of memories that would never be forgotten no matter how long its been or how hard she fought to prove that she was different than her past, passed through those brown eyes before her. Quinn felt her shoulders sag, heart wrenching, closing her eyes finally as she witness the truth to everything she'd caused. No matter how much she wanted to go back in time, tell herself how things would wind up on the eve of entering McKinley high school as a freshman, it was impossible, and she was stuck living in a nightmare as she figured she would. Slowly, her hands withdrew from the tanned ones she held, letting her fingers fall lifelessly back to her sides as she turned her head away from the girl before her. She could feel herself shattering into pieces, trying her hardest to hold herself together even though it was an hopeless task. She had gotten her hopes up despite knowing all too well that her final chance would be in vain, and her heart felt as if she had just been inflicted with several stabs to it, painful, her tears falling a hint quicker from her eyes as she tried to push down the ache filling her body.

Just as she moved to pivot, to allow her instinct to run finally kick in a moment too late, she felt a hand on her wrist, soft yet strong, pulling her back into place as another hand moved to turn the blond's chin so that they were facing one another once more. Still, hazel eyes couldn't meet the chocolate pools again, fearful what else she might see, but another tug of her chin forced her gaze to rise despite herself. Her sorrow echoed in the eyes before her, tears now welling in the young bride's stare as Quinn felt her tear ducts flow without restraint. "You're right," the brunette said softly, bringing the chatter and whisper around them to a stop with those two words alone. Finn seemed to forget how to breathe, much like Quinn had as her tears seemed to stop flowing, watching the young woman before her with both uncertainty and hope that she had thought died mere seconds ago. "I can't marry Finn." Once more, hazel eyes fell, turning her head slightly away as she took in the words that had just been said, cursing internally for once more letting herself dream. She felt the girl's thumbs press against her pale skin, wiping away the droplets of salty pain from both of her cheeks, and the brunette made no move to force the girl to return her gaze once again. "I thought…" The diva gave a strangled laugh, and the short haired girl could only feel curious as to why, although she didn't turn to gander a guess through the way the young woman's face might be contorted. "I love Finn," the bride said, although the firmness in her voice was trembling just as the former cheerleader's whole body seemed to. "But I've always love you too, Quinn."

And, just like that, time seemed to stop once again, silence and shock overtaking everyone there- especially the blond, who had once again yanked her attention back toward the brown eyed beauty, trying to figure if she'd heard the girl correctly. Hazel eyes wide with another serge of hope, she chanced looking once again… only to find her heart mending and breaking for the third, perhaps forth or fifth, time in the past ten minutes alone, watching the conflicting feelings that the blond could see within those eyes she drowned in, yearning and denying the need for a lifeboat to save her from what was happening.

The next thing she knew, she was being firmly shoved aside, a large and bulking figure stalking out the doors in which she had entered, obviously fuming from the news. For the first time since speaking up, she took a look around, noticing Puck's apologetic multicolored eyes, a crooked smile across his caramel features, reading the things he wanted to say. He was sorry for letting the giant go, but, at the same time, he understood the guy's feelings. And while he was happy for her, she was also his baby mama, his past that he still hadn't completely let go despite their try at friendship. The Hummel-Hudson clan was watching both she and Rachel with uncertainty, clearing trying to decide if they should be happy the boy wasn't getting married or frustrated alongside him for being left at the altar- even if he had been the one to just leave. Mercedes once again was giving her that understanding look, the one that told her that she knew how both of them felt, while Tina seemed to be having a battle within herself much like both Carole and Burt had, wanting to believe in the power of love but uncertain if this was something that should happen at weddings, where love is supposed to be plead eternally. Last but not least, her attention moved to both Hiram and Leroy, both of which were equally unhappy about the turn of events, although she knew in her throbbing yet cautiously excited heart exactly why. They had lived in a time where same sex love was denied by them, where it had been hell to find each other in a land of finger pointing and those who would do anything and everything to break them apart. Memories were surfacing, recalling their youth, recalling their fears, and the duo held tightly to the other's hand for support as they tried their hardest to understand what their daughter, their baby girl, the one they always wanted to protect from the world they fought to keep their partner safe from, was saying.

Finally, she glanced down, taking in the sight of the girl who held onto her, knowing from the look on her face alone that a part of her was already regretting the words leaving her mouth. After all, the blond reminded herself with a stinging pain, the girl she adored said she loved him as well- and him stalking out was nothing but a tell tale sign that it didn't matter how much she cared. He'd made his decision, unwilling to share her rather than wait, rather than to allow the brunette time to figure out who she wanted truly in life. A part of her couldn't blame him, knowing that it must hurt to know that his bride was stuck in a deadlock between him and a girl, one whom he had dated himself over the years, and the fact that it hadn't been another guy was like a kick to the gonads no matter how supportive the boy tried to be for his step-brother. The blond could feel the fabric of her dress bunched in the diva's hands, and she could feel the tremble of her body as emotions threatened to spill for more reason than one.

She refused to be like him, no matter how much she wanted to celebrate her small victory, even as she yearned to lean forward and capture those lips as she had in dreams before. She couldn't, not now, not when the diva had been more than willing to give everlasting love a chance with the dimwitted t-rex. Instead, her arms wrapped around the brunette, pulling her in closer, ignoring the world around them as she let herself enjoy what time she had knowing that, at least, the girl did love her. "Take your time, Rachel," she whispered softly, her arms ready and willing to hold on and fight for her to stay there from this moment onward.

After all, this wasn't her last chance.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Orokid**__: So… thoughts? As usual, I must put up the read and review, and I hope you oblige in this little request. Please? Anyway, thank you for your time and you even reading this. I grateful appreciate it._


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